1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to technology for processing incidental information related to medical images.
2. Description of the Related Art
A medical image processing device is a device for generating an image from information of a tissue within a subject body, such as a fluoroscopic image, a tomographic image and a blood flow image within the subject body, thereby conducting an examination and a diagnosis. As the medical image processing device, there are various modalities for medical image processing. Examples include an X-ray diagnostic apparatus, an X-ray CT (Computed Tomography: X-ray computer tomography) device, an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) device, ultrasonic diagnostic equipment, and an NM (Nuclear Medicine).
An examiner conducts an examination with the medical image processing device. Tissue information within a subject body is collected in the examination. Moreover, the tissue information is imaged by the medical image processing device as a moving image or still image, whereby a medical image is generated. By viewing the medical image in real time, or reproducing and viewing the medical image having been stored, an examination and diagnosis of a disease is conducted, for example. Moreover, the examiner views the image and creates an examination report.
A conventional medical image processing device displays information such as a patient ID, patient name and examination date, in a viewer of an examination list screen as shown in FIG. 1 for a person viewing a medical image. When the viewing person selects one of the examinations from the examination list screen, an ultrasonic image as shown in FIG. 2 is displayed. The viewing person conducts a diagnosis or the like based on the ultrasonic image as shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an examination list in which stored medical images are listed and displayed for each examination. FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an ultrasonic image showing an example of a medical image.
As shown in FIG. 2, information on the inside of a subject is displayed substantially in the center of the screen of the viewer. The viewing person views an inside image 400 as shown on this screen, and conducts a diagnosis or the like based on the information. The viewing person needs to conduct the diagnosis or the like, by referring to not only the inside image 400 but also incidental information or the like that is not displayed in the inside image 400. The incidental information includes detailed information on the subject such as the height and weight thereof and previously reported comments on the health condition thereof, and information related to examinations.
Further, before starting to acquire information on the inside of a subject by using the medical image processing device, an examiner generally checks the height and weight of the subject and the comments on the subject. The examiner conducts an examination of the subject after the check.
In the conventional medical image processing device, the incidental information is displayed in a restricted region on the screen, such as an incidental information display column 401 above the inside image shown in FIG. 2. That is, the incidental information is displayed together with the inside image of the subject, and therefore, a space for displaying the incidental information is restricted. As a result, only supplementary information is displayed as the incidental information. The supplementary includes only identification information of the subject such as patient ID, patient name, examination date, gender and hospital name, and some information on the patient.
Further, in the examination list shown in FIG. 1, a display space is restricted for the convenience of display of the list, as in the incidental information display column. Therefore, it is impossible to display much information in the examination list. As a result, only part of the information for specifying the examination, such as patient ID, patient name and examination date, is displayed.
Further, there is a case where DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) is used as a network standard of a medical image management system. In this case, a medical image is managed as a DICOM image. Moreover, in this case, identification information of a patient, which is displayed together with the inside image or displayed in the examination list, is added to the medical image as tag information (DICOM tag) according to the standard.
Furthermore, there is such a conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that records a moving image as a medical image on a VCR tape. Regarding this ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, technology for enabling check of the identification information even when fast-forwarding or rewinding the recorded moving image has been proposed (e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. JP-A 3-49742). That is, by conducting an examination while operating a switching button (a call key), the examiner can record display screen data of the identification information. Consequently, even when the moving image is displayed at a high speed as in fast-forwarding or rewinding, the examiner can check the presence of the display screen of the identification information.
The viewing person may wish to check incidental information (patient information) of a subject having been acquired previously, the name of a doctor requesting an examination, disease information, etc., other than the inside image of the subject and the identification information of the subject as shown in FIG. 2. The incidental information of a subject includes, for example, the height/weight of the subject, comments on the health condition, etc. In this aspect, for the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus described above, the viewing person needs to perform complicated operations in order to refer to the patient information, etc. For example, the viewing person needs to analyze data, or prepare other information as a reference. Such a problem exists in not only the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus disclosed in JP-A 3-49742 but also conventional medical image processing devices.
Further, if there is no compatibility in standard, or if there is no incidental information display function compatible with standard, there is case where the viewing person cannot view identification information when viewing a medical image recorded in a medical image processing device. That is, there is a case where the standard of the viewer (image display device, terminal, etc.) is not compatible with the network standard of the medical image management system related to the medical image processing device. In this case, even if the identification information is attached to the medical image by the medical image processing device as the tag information, the viewer may be unable to recognize and display the identification information due to the problem on the standard.
Further, in a case where detailed information related to a subject or an examination is displayed in the examination list as shown in FIG. 1 for searching a recorded medical image, a space for display becomes insufficient. Therefore, the detailed information cannot fit in the examination list screen when included in the examination list. That is, in a case where the detailed information is included in the examination list, the viewing person cannot view the detailed information unless performing an operation such as sliding on the examination list screen, which is complicated.
Further, in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus as described above, when a person viewing a medical image attempts to view detailed information on a subject or examination, the viewing person needs to perform an operation of switching screens while operating a switching button (a call key). However, this operation is complicated, and may cause trouble to operations of the person viewing the medical image and the examiner. Furthermore, if an examination work using the medical image processing device is complicated, it is difficult to perform the operation of switching screens. As a result, in JP-A 3-49742, it is difficult to record display screen data of identification information such as patient ID. In this case, it is impossible to record necessary information, which may cause trouble to a diagnosis work or the like of the person viewing the medical image.